The last time we explored Facebook's virtual reality developments was effectively last year, when the company announced the Oculus Go, a standalone headset for $200. The Go launched in May of this year, and despite having fulfilled its initial mission, Mark and company feel they must step up another notch. That brings us to the Oculus Quest, the latest member of the Oculus family that doesn't depend on computers, supports six degrees of freedom of movement, and tracks hands. As if that weren't enough, the Oculus Quest already has exclusive content based on the Star Wars saga… and on Darth Vader himself.
The case of virtual reality remains very complex. The hardware has already risen to the occasion, and even with modest budgets it's possible to assemble a platform ready for the main headsets on the market. However, this is both an advantage and a problem. The superior processing power of computers guarantees access to the heaviest VR applications, but there's a new demand among consumers: freedom. Reports of Rift headsets gathering dust in their boxes multiplied across the web, all due to the tangle of cables. The HTC Vive is a bit more flexible in that regard, and the recent wireless adapter announced by the company breaks all chains… for the modest sum of $300 extra. Mark Zuckerberg himself admitted that devices created under the Oculus series need to be autonomous and wireless, plus two extra requirements: six degrees of freedom and hand tracking. The answer is the Oculus Quest.
Oculus Quest: More Freedom Than Ever?
The first aspect to highlight of the Oculus Quest is in its controls, very similar to the Oculus Touch launched in December 2016. As for resolution, Facebook confirmed that the Oculus Quest will present 1,600 by 1,440 pixels per eye. These are higher values than those of the Oculus Rift (which sits at 1,200 by 1,080) and equate to a wider panel compared to the Oculus Go. The combination of four sensors integrated into the headset (with the intervention of special algorithms to determine the user's position in real time), gyroscope, accelerometer, and the tracking of the Touch controllers (under the name Oculus Insight) enables the so-desired six degrees of freedom, without the intervention of cables. The Oculus Quest will not be compatible with the software available on the Rift, but will have more than 50 titles at launch, in spring 2019. And speaking of titles, what is Darth Vader doing there…?
Vader Immortal: A New Star Wars Virtual Experience
What you just saw is the trailer for Vader Immortal, a new virtual experience from the Star Wars universe that will be divided into three episodes. The story is set between episodes 3 and 4 (similar to Rogue One), and apparently, the protagonist is intercepted in hyperspace, captured, and taken to Darth Vader's castle on the planet Mustafar. Vader Immortal was written by David S. Goyer (known for Dark City, and the Blade and Batman trilogies), who already participated in another Star Wars virtual project, Secrets of the Empire. Its debut will be synchronized with the Oculus Quest, and the official price for the virtual headset will be $399.
